Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ

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Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ
Haplopelma hainanum venom induces
                                      inflammatory skin lesions
                                      Zhili Deng1 ,2 ,3 ,4 , Yaling Wang1 , Wei Shi1 ,4 , Lei Zhou1 , San Xu1 ,2 ,3 ,4 ,
                                      Ji Li1 ,2 ,3 ,4 and Yiya Zhang1 ,2 ,4
                                  1
                                    Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
                                  2
                                    Key Laboratory of Organ Injury, Aging and Regenerative Medicine of Hunan Province, Central South
                                    University, Changsha, China
                                  3
                                    Center for Molecular Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
                                  4
                                    National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University,
                                    Changsha, China

                                         ABSTRACT
                                         The Haplopelma hainanum is a species of theraphosid spider from China. Its large size
                                         and charming appearance make this species a popular pet. According to a previous
                                         study, theraphosid spider bites can induce pain, erythema, and edema in humans
                                         and can present more severely in domestic animals. The pathological consequences
                                         of envenomation by H. hainanum remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the
                                         effects and mechanisms of H. hainanum envenomation in mice. We showed that the
                                         venom induced slight swelling, intense inflammatory response, and increased the
                                         microvascular density in mice skin. Moreover, we found that 50 µg/ml of the spider’s
                                         venom induced IL-1β expression in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells, but repressed
                                         CXCL10 expression in fibroblasts. The venom significantly induced cell senescence
                                         and repressed cell proliferation and migration in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast
                                         cells. Finally, we examined the expression of Nav channel in HaCaT and fibroblast
                                         cells and found that H. hainanum venom effectively inhibited Na+ currents in HaCaT
                                         cells. Our study calls for further investigation of the pathological consequences and
                                         potential mechanisms of H. hainanum envenomation. This information might assist in
                                         the development of suitable therapy.

Submitted 16 July 2019
Accepted 21 November 2019             Subjects Toxicology, Dermatology
Published 10 January 2020             Keywords H. hainanum venom, Envenomation, Inflammation, Revascularization
Corresponding author
Yiya Zhang, yiya0108@csu.edu.cn
Academic editor
                                      INTRODUCTION
Bruno Lomonte                         Spiders are one of the oldest and most abundant venomous animals, with a fossil history
Additional Information and            spanning more than 300 million years and over 40,000 species (Deng et al., 2016). Every
Declarations can be found on
page 12
                                      year, approximately 10,000 spider bites are reported in Brazil and nearly 3,000 bites in
                                      America (Braitberg & Segal, 2009).
DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264
                                         The venom of most spiders causes only minor discomfort including edema, hemorrhage,
    Copyright                         and sometimes subsequent ulceration (Dunbar et al., 2018; Isbister & Fan, 2011). Though
2020 Deng et al.
                                      relatively rare, spider envenomation also can cause severe reactions such as systemic
Distributed under                     loxoscelism, which can progress to acute renal failure and even death (Manzoni-de Almeida
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0
                                      et al., 2018; Okamoto et al., 2017). Most studies on spider envenomation focus on one of the
OPEN ACCESS                           most venomous spiders, the Loxosceles. Studies have shown that histopathologic alterations

                                      How to cite this article Deng Z, Wang Y, Shi W, Zhou L, Xu S, Li J, Zhang Y. 2020. Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory
                                      skin lesions. PeerJ 8:e8264 http://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8264
Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ
induced by Loxosceles envenomation include edema, vasodilatation, and hemorrhage
                                   in dermis–epidermis dissociation (Van den Berg et al., 2007). Also, the complement
                                   system plays an important role in envenomation-induced inflammation (Patel et al.,
                                   1994; Ribeiro et al., 2015; Tambourgi et al., 2005). An increasing number of studies have
                                   revealed the important role of fibroblasts and keratinocytes in spider venom-induced
                                   pathological alterations in the skin. Loxosceles envenomation partly induces dermonecrosis
                                   by upregulating proinflammatory cytokine expression in fibroblasts (Dragulev et al.,
                                   2007; Rojas et al., 2017). Another study showed that keratinocyte-secreted matrix
                                   metalloproteinase contributed to the induction of dermonecrosis by both Loxoscles laeta
                                   and Loxosceles intermedia venom (Correa et al., 2016). Moreover, Loxosceles venom triggers
                                   cell death by apoptosis in human skin fibroblasts (Dantas et al., 2014) and keratinocytes,
                                   contributing to the pathogenesis of cutaneous loxoscelism (Paixao-Cavalcante & Van den
                                   Berg, 2006).
                                       Theraphosid spiders, also called bird spiders, are increasingly being kept as pets due
                                   to their size and beautiful coloring (Fuchs et al., 2014). Although theraphosid spiders are
                                   considered harmless, their venom has been proven to cause localized pain, erythema, and
                                   edema in humans, with more severe symptoms in canines, including death (Isbister et
                                   al., 2003; Rocha et al., 2016). Haplopelma hainanum is a venomous species of theraphosid
                                   spider from the Hainan province in southern China (Xiao & Liang, 2003). Previous studies
                                   have focused on the peptides in H. hainanum venom that directly regulate the activation
                                   of ion channels, producing analgesic effects (Zhang et al., 2015). The histopathologic
                                   alterations caused by H. hainanum envenomation, however, are virtually unknown.
                                       In this study, we examined the pathological alterations induced by H. hainanum venom
                                   in mice, and discovered the mechanism that potentially contributes to lesion development
                                   in HaCaT and fibroblast cells. We developed an understanding of the action of the
                                   molecular mechanisms of H. hainanum venom, which may assist in the development of
                                   various treatments aimed at ameliorating the symptoms of spider envenomation.

                                   MATERIALS & METHODS
                                   Animals
                                   Twenty female C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks old) were used in this study. All mice received food
                                   and water prior to the experiment with a 12 h/12 h day/night cycle. All animal experiments
                                   were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the Xiangya Hospital of Central
                                   South University (201703211).

                                   Spider venom and treatment
                                   The venom was collected from adult female H. hainanum using an electro-pulse stimulator
                                   as described previously (Hu et al., 2014; Yan et al., 2018). Expelled venom was collected
                                   from the fang tips with a tube, pooled, and freeze-dried. The freeze-dried crude venom
                                   was stored at −20 ◦ C prior to analysis. H. hainanum venom (0, 1, 3, 10 and 30 µg/site)
                                   was injected into the ear in a fixed volume of 25 µl in PBS. 24 h after the intradermal (i.d.)
                                   injection of venom, the skin was collected and stored at −80 ◦ C.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                           2/17
Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ
Table 1 Primers for qRT-PCR.

                                     Primier           Forward (50 to 30 )                   Reverse (50 to 30 )
                                     IL-1β             AGCTACGAATCTCCGACCAC                  CGTTATCCCATGTGTCGAAGAA
                                     CXCL10            GTGGCATTCAAGGAGTACCTC                 TGATGGCCTTCGATTCTGGATT
                                     TNFα              CCTCTCTCTAATCAGCCCTCTG                GAGGACCTGGGAGTAGATGAG
                                     IL-6              CCTGAACCTTCCAAAGATGGC                 TTCACCAGGCAAGTCTCCTCA
                                     IL-17             TCCCACGAAATCCAGGATGC                  GGATGTTCAGGTTGACCATCAC
                                     CCL2              CAGCCAGATGCAATCAATGCC                 TGGAATCCTGAACCCACTTCT

                                   Cell culture and treatment
                                   Human keratinocyte HaCaT cells were purchased from the Cell Bank of Chinese Academy
                                   of Sciences (Shanghai, China). The primary human skin fibroblast cells were cultured
                                   by digesting human skin with type II collagenase (Sigma, Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA)
                                   to isolate human keratinocytes as described previously (Xie et al., 2013). Fibroblast cells
                                   were cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM, Hyclone, Logan, USA)
                                   with 10% fetal bovine serum (Hyclone, Logan, UT, USA) as previously described (Li et al.,
                                   2010). The human keratinocyte HaCaT cells were cultured in free-calcium basal medium
                                   (DMEM; Gibco, USA) with 10% fetal bovine serum (Hyclone, Logan, USA) as previously
                                   described (Li et al., 2019) in an incubator at 37 ◦ C, 5% CO2 .

                                   Histologic analysis
                                   Mice ears were sectioned at 4 µm thickness and then stained with hematoxylin and eosin
                                   (H&E) (four ears per group). The histological alterations were detected by microscopy
                                   (OLYMPUS, Japan).

                                   Immunofluorescence
                                   The ears were sectioned at 8 µm thickness and incubated with anti-CD4, anti-CD31, and
                                   anti-MHCII antibodies (4 ears per group), and then stained with anti-goat IgG antibodies
                                   (Alexa Fluor 488) as previously described (Su et al., 2018). All antibodies were purchased
                                   from ebioscience (San Diego, USA).

                                   Real-time PCR analysis
                                   A TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen Life Technologies) was used to derive the total RNA from
                                   HaCaT and fibroblast cells. Two µg of RNA was reverse transcribed to cDNA. We then
                                   performed qPCR to obtain mRNA expression as previously described (Li et al., 2019).
                                   The primers of IL-1β, CXCL10, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and CCL2 are listed in Table 1. The
                                   real-time PCR analysis was repeated in three independent experiments.

                                   Cell migration
                                   The cell migration ability was detected using a scratch-wound assay. Cells were seeded and
                                   cultured in a 6-well plate. When cells reached ∼80% confluence, a 100 µl tip was used for
                                   scratching. The cells were treated with 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 µg/ml venom in 5% FBS
                                   DMEM for 12 h. The cell wound conditions were then photographed using the Zeiss Axio
                                   Scope A1 microscope (Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany). This was repeated 4 times.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                        3/17
Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ
Cell senescence
                                   Senescence was detected using SA-β-gal staining as previously described (Xie et al., 2017).
                                   When cells reached 70% confluence, SA-β-gal solution was used for staining. β-Gal-
                                   positive cells were detected using microscopy (OLYMPUS, Japan). This was repeated in
                                   three independent experiments.

                                   Cell proliferation
                                   The cell proliferation ability was assessed using an MTT assay. 1 × 104 cells were seeded in
                                   96-well plates and cultured for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. MTT (Sigma-Aldrich) and dimethyl
                                   sulfoxide (DMSO) (Sigma-Aldrich) were added to the 96-well plates and the absorbance
                                   was measured at 490 nm. This was repeated in 5 replicates per experiment and in 3
                                   independent experiments.

                                   Patch clamp
                                   The solidum currents in HaCaT and fibroblast cells were detected using the whole-cell
                                   patch-clamp technique (Axon 700B patch-clamp, Irvine, CA, USA) as previously described
                                   (Yan et al., 2018). To detect voltage-gated Nav currents, we used an extracellular solution
                                   containing (in mM): 145 NaCl, 1.5 CaCl2 , 2 MgCl2 , 2.5 KCl, 10 D-glucose and 10 HEPES,
                                   (pH 7.4). The pipette solution contained (in mM): 5 NaCl, 135 CsCl, 5 MgATP, 10
                                   D-glucose, 10 HEPES and 10 EGTA (PH 7.2). The current was elicited by -10 mV from a
                                   holding potential of −40 mV. This was repeated for 3 different experiments.

                                   Statistical analysis
                                   GraphPad Prism 6 (La Jolla, CA) was used for statistical analysis. Data were presented as
                                   means ± SEM. Statistical comparisons of the two groups were analyzed by the Student’s
                                   t -test. P < 0.05 was considered significant as compared to the control group.

                                   RESULTS
                                   Histological assessment and inflammatory cell infiltration of skin
                                   damage
                                   Histopathological analysis of the mice’s ear skin 24 h after i.d. H. hainanum venom injection
                                   showed histological alterations including slight swelling and an intense leukocyte infiltrate
                                   in which neutrophils were the predominant cell type deep in the dermis (Figs. 1A–1F).
                                   We also detected the infiltration of CD4+ T cells (CD4+ ) and APCs (MHCII+ ) using
                                   immunofluorescence staining. As shown in Figs. 1G–1L, the number of CD4+ T cells
                                   significantly increased in the lesions where H. hainanum venom was applied at 10 µg per
                                   site and 30 µg per site. Moreover, the number of MHCII+ cells also increased at the 10 µg
                                   per site and 30 µg per site where venom was applied (Figs. 1M–1R). Together, these results
                                   indicate that H. hainanum venom induces inflammatory cell infiltration in mice.

                                   Alterations in the microvascular density
                                   Previous studies have shown alterations in microvascular density in mice treated with snake
                                   venom treated (Jimenez et al., 2008) Here, we demonstrated the role of H. hainanum venom
                                   on microvascular density by detecting CD31+ cell using immunofluorescence. As shown

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                          4/17
Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions - PeerJ
Figure 1 Histological alterations in H. hainanum. venom induced skin lesion. (A–F) H&E stain re-
                                     vealed the histological alterations. The arrows are inflammatory cells. (G–L) Immunofluorescence re-
                                     vealed the CD4+ T cells infiltration. The arrows are CD4+ cells. Scale bar: 100 µm. (M–R) Immunoflu-
                                     orescence revealed the MHCII+ cells infiltration. The arrows are MHCII+ cells. Scale bar: 100 µm. Data
                                     represent the means Âś SEM.*P < 0.05, compared to control group.
                                                                                                       Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8264/fig-1

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                                         5/17
Figure 2 The effects of H. hainanum venom on the alterations in the microvascular density in mice
                                     and inflammatory cytokines in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. (A–F) CD31+ cells were detected using
                                     immunofluorescence. Scale bar: 100 µm. The arrows are CD31+ cells. Data represent the means ± SEM.
                                     *P < 0.05, compared to control group. (G) qPCR revealed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in
                                     keratinocytes. (H) qPCR revealed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in fibroblasts. Data represent
                                     the means ± SEM. *P < 0.05, compared to control group.
                                                                                                   Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8264/fig-2

                                   in Figs. 2A–2F, at 10 µg per site and 30 µg per site venom evidently increased the number
                                   of CD31+ cells. These results indicate that H. hainanum venom induces revascularization.

                                   Venom induces the production of inflammatory cytokines
                                   Keratinocytes, when provoked by environmental stimuli, can produce inflammatory
                                   cytokines and chemokine (Hermann et al., 2017; Lowes et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2016).
                                   Moreover, dermal fibroblasts produce cytokines and antimicrobial peptides to defend
                                   against pathogens (Hesse-Macabata et al., 2019). In this study, we assessed the effects of H.
                                   hainanum venom on inflammatory cytokine expression in HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells.
                                   As shown in Fig. 2G, 50 µg/ml venom evidently induced IL-1β expression in HaCaT cells.
                                   Moreover, 50 µg/ml venom induced IL-1β expression and repressed CXCL10 expression
                                   in fibroblasts (Fig. 2H). TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and CCL2, however, were not affected by H.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                                        6/17
hainanum venom. Together, these results indicate that venom partly induces inflammatory
                                   infiltration by upregulating IL-1β expression in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells.

                                   The effects of venom on the proliferation, migration, and senescence
                                   of keratinocytes
                                   Keratinocytes are the major component of the epidermis, which plays a central role in
                                   maintaining the barrier function of the skin. In this study, we treated HaCaT cells with 0,
                                   5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 µg/ml H. hainanum venom and then determined cell proliferation,
                                   migration, and senescence using MTT, wound healing, and SA-β-gal staining, respectively.
                                   As shown in Figs. 3A–3G and 3H–3T, 5, 10, 20, and 50 µg/ml H. hainanum venom
                                   did not significantly affect cell senescence or repressed cell migration ability. 100 µg/ml
                                   H. hainanum venom evidently induced cell senescence and repressed the migration
                                   ability of HaCaT cells. As shown in Fig. 3U, 50 and 100 µg/ml H. hainanum venom
                                   significantly repressed the cell proliferation ability of HaCaT cells. Five, 10, and 20 µg/ml
                                   H. hainanum venom did not seem to impact HaCaT cell proliferation. In conclusion, the
                                   data demonstrate that a high enough concentration of H. hainanum venom directly affects
                                   the proliferation, migration, and senescence of keratinocytes.

                                   The effects of venom on the proliferation, migration, and senescence
                                   of fibroblasts
                                   Next, we explored the potential role of H. hainanum venom on fibroblast cell proliferation,
                                   migration, and senescence using MTT, wound healing, and SA-β-gal staining, respectively.
                                   As shown in Figs. 4A–4U, 50 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml H. hainanum venom evidently induced
                                   cell senescence and repressed the cell migration and proliferation ability of fibroblast cells.
                                   Five, 10, and 20 µg/ml H. hainanum venom did not significantly affect cell proliferation,
                                   migration, or senescence (Fig. 4). In conclusion, these data demonstrate that a high enough
                                   concentration of H. hainanum venom directly affects the proliferation, migration, and
                                   senescence of fibroblasts.

                                   Venom inhibits the currents of voltage-gated sodium channels in
                                   HaCaT and fibroblast cells
                                   Studies have shown that keratinocytes and fibroblasts have sodium channels expression
                                   (Zhao et al., 2008). In this study, we determined the expression levels of sodium channels in
                                   HaCaT and fibroblasts cells. In HaCaT cells, the Nav1.5 and Nav1.7 expression levels were
                                   higher than those of other sodium channels (Fig. 5A). In fibroblast cells, the Nav1.5, Nav1.6
                                   and Nav1.7 expression levels were higher than those of other sodium channels (Fig. 5B).
                                   We next detected the sodium currents of HaCaT and fibroblast cells using a patch clamp.
                                   As shown in Fig. 5C, voltage-gated sodium currents were detected in HaCaT cells, as 100
                                   µg/ml venom evidently repressed the sodium currents. Unfortunately, no sodium currents
                                   were detected in fibroblasts.

                                   DISCUSSION
                                   In humans, envenomation by theraphosid spiders can result in painful skin lesions that
                                   include erythema and edema (Rocha et al., 2016). The object of this study was to investigate

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                            7/17
Figure 3 The H. hainanum venom affects proliferation, migration and senescence of keratinocytes.
                                     Cells were treated with 0, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 µg/ml venom. (A–G) SA-β-gal staining was used to deter-
                                     minate cell senescence of keratinocytes. (H–T) wound healing was used to determinate cell migration of
                                     keratinocytes. U, MTT was used to determinate cell proliferation of keratinocytes. Data was represented as
                                     the means ± SEM. *P < 0.05, compared to control group.
                                                                                                     Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8264/fig-3

                                   the potential role of H. hainanum venom in the pathology of such skin lesions in vivo
                                   and in vitro. We found that H. hainanum venom induces effects that closely mimic the
                                   envenomation-induced lesions in humans. The histological alterations include slight
                                   swelling, inflammatory cell infiltration, and revascularization. Moreover, H. hainanum
                                   venom evidently induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines and significantly
                                   affected the cell proliferation, migration, and senescence in keratinocytes and fibroblasts.
                                       Spider venom is a complex cocktail of proteins, neurotoxic peptides, and small molecules.
                                   It is used to capture prey and defend against predators (Windley et al., 2012). Although the
                                   bite of most spiders has little or no effect on mammalian tissue, envenomation by Loxosceles,

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                                          8/17
Figure 4 The H. hainanum. venom affect proliferation, migration and senescence of fibroblasts. (A–
                                     G) SA-β-gal staining was used to determinate cell senescence of fibroblasts. (H–T) wound healing was
                                     used to determinate cell migration of fibroblasts. (U) MTT was used to determinate cell proliferation of fi-
                                     broblasts. Data represent the means ± SEM. *P < 0.05, compared to control group.
                                                                                                      Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8264/fig-4

                                   for example, can induce localized pain, erythema, edema and dermonecrosis in skin. Spider
                                   envenomation can also induce severe systemic reactions, even death (Manzoni-de Almeida
                                   et al., 2018; Okamoto et al., 2017). For example, Loxosceles venom can induce edema,
                                   vascular anomalies, hemorrhaging, and dermis–epidermis dissociation (Mackinnon &
                                   Witkind, 1954). Spider venom can also induce a severe inflammatory response, including
                                   an increase of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and leukocyte infiltration
                                   (Dunbar, Sulpice & Dugon, 2019; Griesbacher et al., 1998; Rojas et al., 2017; Tambourgi et
                                   al., 2005). In this study, we examined the envenomation of mice with H. hainanum venom.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                                            9/17
Figure 5 Venom inhibits the currents of voltage gated sodium channels in Hacat cells. (A) The expres-
                                     sion levels of sodium channels in Hacat. (B) The expression levels of sodium channels in fibroblasts. (C)
                                     The sodium currents on Hacat using patch clamp. Data represent the means ± SEM.
                                                                                                      Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8264/fig-5

                                   Consistent with the clinical presentation of theraphosid spider bites in human (Rocha
                                   et al., 2016), H. hainanum venom injection caused histological alterations including
                                   slight swelling, an intense leukocyte infiltrate, and increased microvascular density in
                                   mice (Figs. 1 and 2). Studies have shown that phospholipases D is an important active
                                   constituent of venom in spiders from the Sicariidae family (Lopes et al., 2013). It plays a
                                   proinflammatory role by activating leukocytes (Manzoni-de Almeida et al., 2018) in the
                                   progression of the dermonecrotic lesion (Paixao-Cavalcante et al., 2007). There was no
                                   phospholipases D, however, detected in the venom of theraphosid spiders. Moreover,
                                   LmTX-I (a basic phospholipase A2) is considered an important component of Lachesis
                                   muta muta venom that induces microvascular permeability in skin (Ferreira et al., 2009).
                                   Kinin-related peptides were reported to play a key role in Vespula vulgaris venom, inducing
                                   paw edema in rats (Griesbacher et al., 1998). Various neurotoxic peptides in theraphosid
                                   spider venom attracts enormous interest, given their potential for pharmacological use in
                                   regulating the activation of various ion channels (Zhang et al., 2015). Our previous studies
                                   demonstrated that hainantoxin-I, a peptide toxin in H. hainanum venom, is an activator of
                                   the KCa3.1 channel (Huang et al., 2014). The channel modulates Ca(2+ ) influx and plays a
                                   key role in the activity of various immune cells, including mast cells, inflammatory CD4+
                                   T, and antigen-specific memory T cells (Chiang et al., 2017; Duffy et al., 2015; Matsui et
                                   al., 2018). These results indicate that hainantoxin-I may be involved in the inflammation
                                   induced by H. hainanum venom.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                                        10/17
Keratinocytes are not merely a major component of the skin’s physical barrier.
                                   They are also critical for innate immunity, producing a variety of proinflammatory
                                   cytokines that play a key role in the activation and recruitment of immune cells in the
                                   skin (Kabashima et al., 2019). Fibroblasts, which are the major cells for the production
                                   of collagen and the most abundant component of the ECM in the dermis, are also
                                   reported to contribute to immune defense by producing proinflammatory cytokines and
                                   antimicrobial peptides (Hesse-Macabata et al., 2019). Previous studies have shown that
                                   Loxosceles venom induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines
                                   in endothelial cells and fibroblasts (Desai et al., 1999; Gomez et al., 1999; Rojas et al., 2017).
                                   Our work has demonstrated that H. hainanum venom evidently induced IL-1β expression
                                   in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells. The expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and CCL2,
                                   however, was not affected by H. hainanum venom. In conclusion, these results indicated
                                   that H. hainanum venom-induced inflammation was partly caused by the production
                                   of cytokines in HaCaT and fibroblast cells. Additionally, H. hainanum venom evidently
                                   affected biological functions including cell senescence, migration, and proliferation in both
                                   HaCaT cells and fibroblasts. Fibroblasts showed more sensitivity to H. hainanum venom
                                   than HaCaT cells did. It has previously been shown that Loxosceles venom induced cell
                                   apoptosis of human keratinocytes, which is consistent with our results for H. hainanum
                                   venom (Paixao-Cavalcante & Van den Berg, 2006). Other studies have shown that that
                                   keratinocytes and fibroblasts have sodium channel expression (Zhao et al., 2008). In this
                                   study, we showed that Nav1.5 and Nav1.7 were highly expressed in HaCaT cells, while
                                   Nav1.5, Nav1.6 and Nav1.7 were highly expressed in fibroblasts. 100 µg/ml H. hainanum
                                   venom evidently repressed the sodium currents in HaCaT cells. These results indicate
                                   that H. hainanum venom could affect the function of HaCaT cells partly by inhibiting
                                   voltage-gated sodium channels. Moreover, previous studies have also indicated that spider
                                   venom can influence the function of immune cells. For example, Loxosceles venom induced
                                   the activation of blood leukocytes (Manzoni-de Almeida et al., 2018). Our previous studies
                                   have demonstrated that H. hainanum venom can activate KCa3.1 channels (Huang et al.,
                                   2014), which play a key role in the activity of various immune cells (Chiang et al., 2017;
                                   Duffy et al., 2015; Matsui et al., 2018). Therefore, we speculated that H. hainanum venom
                                   may also affect the activities of immune cells.

                                   CONCLUSIONS
                                   In conclusion, these data show that H. hainanum envenomation induces edema,
                                   inflammation, and hemorrhage. The histological alterations include slight swelling, an
                                   intense leukocyte infiltration, and increased microvascular density in vivo. Furthermore,
                                   venom-induced IL-1β expression and the alteration of cell proliferation, migration, and
                                   senescence in HaCaT and fibroblast cells are possible factors that are involved in the
                                   pathogenesis of venom-induced inflammatory lesions. These results provide new insights
                                   into the mechanisms of the pathology induced by H. hainanum venom, contributing to
                                   the development of a suitable therapy.

Deng et al. (2020), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.8264                                                                              11/17
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND DECLARATIONS

                                   Funding
                                   This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81703149
                                   and 81874251) and the Key Technology R&D Program of Hunan Provincial Project of
                                   Hunan (2018SK2087). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis,
                                   decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

                                   Grant Disclosures
                                   The following grant information was disclosed by the authors:
                                   National Natural Science Foundation of China: 81703149, 81874251.
                                   Key Technology R&D Program of Hunan Provincial Project of Hunan: 2018SK2087.

                                   Competing Interests
                                   The authors declare there are no competing interests.

                                   Author Contributions
                                   • Zhili Deng conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments,
                                     prepared figures and/or tables, and approved the final draft.
                                   • Yaling Wang performed the experiments, prepared figures and/or tables, and approved
                                     the final draft.
                                   • Wei Shi analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, and approved the final draft.
                                   • Lei Zhou and San Xu performed the experiments, prepared figures and/or tables, and
                                     approved the final draft.
                                   • Ji Li analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final
                                     draft.
                                   • Yiya Zhang analyzed the data, conceived and designed the experiments, prepared figures
                                     and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft.

                                   Animal Ethics
                                   The following information was supplied relating to ethical approvals (i.e., approving body
                                   and any reference numbers):
                                     All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the
                                   Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (201703211).

                                   Data Availability
                                   The following information was supplied regarding data availability:
                                      Raw data is available at Figshare: Zhang (2019): 2019.7.16.zip. figshare. Figure.
                                   10.6084/m9.figshare.8872733.v1.

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